Chorley Council

CHORLEY COUNCIL AUTHENTICATES THEIR WAY

LOCAL AUTHORITY CLAMPS DOWN ON DATA SECURITY WITH SECURENVOY

Chorley Council had been using hardware token-based authentication for seven years but, due to the escalating costs and security risks, decided to review their current system and look into more cost-effective alternatives.

Asim Khan, Head of ICT and Transactional Services for Chorley Council explains; “We were experiencing an increasing number of problems around the management of hardware tokens. Employees were losing them and issuing new ones not only incurred costs for the tokens themselves but also involved additional administrative costs and time; not to mention a very real security risk”.

SecurEnvoy provides the council with a two-factor authentication solution that turns users’ mobile phones into authentication devices by using a mobile app or SMS technology. The solution provides a one-time pass code that allows users to log on remotely and securely, either on their laptop or a mobile device.

Steve Watts, co-founder of SecurEnvoy, says: “Many people use two-factor authentication every day but might not be aware of it; for example, the use of a pin and card at the ATM. The problem with any form of hardware token is it becomes yet another device to look after and to remember to carry around. Most people will protect their mobile devices more than they would a plastic token as it has a far higher monetary and personal value. We are more likely to leave hardware tokens at home, in a drawer or on the desk, but we carry mobiles everywhere, making them the perfect tool for authentication.”

Chorley Council’s adoption of SecurEnvoy means that employees can now access their systems remotely and securely via an app on their mobile phone; making the requirement for hardware tokens redundant. The result is a saving on both time and money whilst enhancing system security and improving the user experience.